The State of Rank

Applying to College
1

<p>What's going on these days with class ranks? Seems pretty rank to me. </p>

<p>It just doesn't register with me as indicative of not only who's brightest, but also now who's hardest-working. It seems like our top 10 are the people who have taken relatively easy classes and sufficiently gamed the system. Our number 4 is lazy, our number 11 takes the most smooth-sailing classes possible, and it seems like the greatest benefit overall isn't going to most merited. Our number 5 deserved the number 1 spot more than anyone ahead of him, but because the others have taken easier classes with the same weight, or . . . you get the point.</p>

<p>All of this, of course, brings me to my own jealousies and insecurities (what else?). I work hard. Truly. I swear. As a sophomore, I take two science courses and two language courses. I have founded our school's debate organization (not just a club) as well as a small summer performing arts program . . . in addition to partaking in numerous other activities about which I am unfailingly passionate, such as music composition and creative writing. I achieved the highest PSAT scores in my class, having gotten a perfect score on two of the sections. </p>

<p>And (here's the real clincher) my class rank is absolutely terrible. Not even top 5%. Barely top 10%. All thanks to: guess what, hey,freshman year. My grades, with the exception of that cursed year, average out to the mid-90's. With hard work, I'll be probably able to get into the top 20. So here's my question: is this good enough, (potentially) for the Ivies and other top schools towards whose admissions I have put so much of my time, despite my rank? I was worried by something in the parents forum that said holistic admissions is only for 4.0 GPA'ers. Plus, I've only gotten B's in math all throughout my highschool career til' this quarter. Whassup widdat?</p>

<p>Sorry to bother you. Really. But I'm freaking.</p>

2

<p>ur a sophomore, chillax.
do well next year... dont worry about apps till u absolutely have to</p>

3

<p>You know what? You're too fixated on what the others are doing. And the weight of what the class rank will mean once you start applying. Do you best and find satisfaction in your work. Will you get in an Ivy or other top school? Who knows? But really, if you have the work ethic, curiosity and intellect whichever school will be fortunate enough to confer a degree to you won't matter that much. Really. </p>

<p>I was tenth or eleventh in my class of 200. Never played the "game". Had a 3.85 or so GPA (didn't know it really). Took all the hard classes because I WANTED to, not cuz I was worried about how I would market myself to colleges. I was accepted to U-Mich November of my Senior year so cruised along completely relaxed and getting a 4.0 my sr. year (7 AP classes). I applied to some other schools and was accepted at all schools applied, eventually matriculating at one of the HYPs. I enjoyed my HS career and loved my undergraduate days.</p>

4

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You know what? You're too fixated on what the others are doing.

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<p>^ Totally agreed. Any class rank but your own is entirely meaningless to you, and even your own should be taken with salt (as you seem to realize). I knew a girl who came to college having been #1 in her class, and she was still so fixated on her class rankings that she introduced her HS friends by number. Even now, five years later, I can name numbers 1-3 from her class. The girl's identity was so wrapped up in having been #1 in HS that college caught her pretty off guard (small fish, big pond). My HS didn't rank, so I was happy doing my best and seeing where it brought me. Seemed to make for a much smoother transition.</p>

<p>I have to roll my eyes every time I see people worrying about "watering down" their GPA and rank. One of the brightest, most exceptionally capable students in my HS class had a passion for foreign languages, so she took at least 3-4 of them, not all of which were available as Honors/AP (none of which were in the first few years). I can imagine her "Chances" thread on CC, with kids telling her that her GPA was 'low', so she must not have taken a very rigorous load, etc., when anyone who actually examined her transcript would have seen that she'd basically surpassed the most rigorous load! She matriculated at one of HYP. </p>

<p>Colleges are perfectly aware that ranking can be manipulated. Ranking helps to make sense of GPA and to put an applicant in a fair context--a kid who has a 3.5 but is #1 in his class will probably be viewed differently from a kid who has a 3.5 and is middle of the pack. Transcript helps put ranking in perspective--a kid whose unweighted GPA puts him first in his class, but who has taken a light courseload will probably be viewed differently from a kid whose unweighted GPA puts him a bit lower, but who challenged himself. There's a reason that colleges try not to reduce kids to any single number. GPA, ranking, transcript, standardized test scores...they all work together.</p>

<p>I have seen at least one merit scholarship that has a bottom line cut-off for ranking, which I think is ridiculous. It just encourages the scheming, which can really cause students to lose sight of what HS is actually about (hint: more than just 'getting into a good college'). So in fairness, the madness about "watering down" ranking can't be wholly attributed to students themselves (though a kid who tried too hard to play the system, taking a minimal load, probably would never make it into this particular college in the first place). For now, though, it's early. Do your thing, worry about yourself, and put this out of your mind for awhile. It's likely to even out in the long run.</p>